French & Saunders

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/21/12 at 11:18pm

Any other fans? I finally got my hands on their complete series collection and I've been enjoying the hell out of it. Here's one of my favorites.
Opera Classics

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/21/12 at 11:19pm

French and Saunders meet Anastacia Updated On: 3/21/12 at 11:19 PM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/21/12 at 11:25pm

I can never get enough Dawn French.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/21/12 at 11:30pm

She's the best. But so is Jennifer!


Say what will be will be will be Updated On: 3/21/12 at 11:30 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/22/12 at 12:20am

Have you seen the live clip of Jen doing her version of Madge's Hung Up complete with C'est la Vie sample? Perfection.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/22/12 at 12:30am

Yes! Updated On: 3/22/12 at 12:30 AM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/22/12 at 1:29am

They were part of a hilarious Mamma Mia film parody which is pure brilliance.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq-FX1ced8g

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuQhyEAAANk

The director is played by the brilliant Miranda Hart who now does my current fave UK sitcom Miranda http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVQ8zt7uXlE

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/22/12 at 1:41am

I love Miranda!

[tazber]

Posted: 3/22/12 at 6:36am

Loooove them.

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/22/12 at 9:28am

Love the Harry Potter spoof ...

(and love Jeremy Irons as Snape!)
Harry Potter

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/22/12 at 10:04am

Miranda's show is HYSTERICAL! So glad to see others have enjoyed it as well. I've been a huge fan of French and Saunders since their shows were first released on VHS. That opera clip is my favorite! I think Dawn French is possibly the funniest woman alive and I never tire of watching Vicar of Dibley.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 3/22/12 at 10:06am

I used to watch re-runs of their show all the time when I lived in Ireland, one channel seemed to show them 24/7.

Some of their stuff I get, and some I don't. The parodies are generally great - Titanic being my favorite. I'm laughing even now as I think of Jennifer Saunders singing Believe out in the ocean. Other sketches, such as the ones where they sit around in that white room being odd are not really my cup of tea.

Have you ever seen their sitcom Let Them Eat Cake? Set in the court of Louis XVI. It's a riot, but lasted only six episodes.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/22/12 at 10:51am

I loved Let Them Eat Cake and couldn't understand why it didn't run longer. Alison Steadman as Madame de Plonge really held her own against those two. Wild West with Dawn French and Catherine Tate was another gem. And though it was a bit milder, Clatterford is wonderful to watch just for the amazing cast including French, Saunders AND Lumley.

I also watch Lark Rise to Candleford just to get a dose of French and Julia Sawalha (Saffie). It's a bit twee, but I enjoy it.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 3/22/12 at 12:15pm

"The director is played by the brilliant Miranda Hart who now does my current fave UK sitcom Miranda"

Our PBS offered us Miranda and reruns of Vicar of Dibley. The moron voters chose reruns of Dibley. I was hoping for Miranda.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 3/22/12 at 12:25pm

I love both of them...and all must check the clips of Dawn doing her Catherine Zeta Jones.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/23/12 at 1:26am

I had no idea PBSs anywhere carried modern UK sitcoms. I remember years back our local one had Coupling late late at night, and apparently subscribers complained and it was removed.

Vicar of Dibley has been re-aired so many times and is so old--I'm sure it won out largely just because (sadly a true stereotype) most people who watch PBS wouldn't recognize a new show. Miranda, for the most part, is pretty tame and fits in well with the old style of britcom. I admit I also appreciate her casting the gorgeous Tom Ellis as the male lead (which she said she did to try to reverse the classic britcom standard of casting one super attractive member as eye candy--always of course female).

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/23/12 at 1:58am

Yeah, depending on the market, some PBS stations show semi-current BBCesque shows.

I really enjoy Miranda. Is a new series happening?

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/23/12 at 2:29am

My main problem with French and Saunders is one I have with all UK sitcoms. People often complain that American sitcoms slap on the laugh track (particularly in the 90s) at any excuse. But the UK sitcoms and comedies are FAR FAR worse--a British BF of mine actually agreed, when I was worried he would take offence. In act there was a French and Saunders sketch about this which I can't find, where they show a dreary, not funny comedy show and show them in the booth gleefully revving up the laugh track at every non-funny bit.

[kooky]

Posted: 3/23/12 at 8:44am

absolutely L O V E them ......

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/23/12 at 9:56am

I admit I also appreciate her casting the gorgeous Tom Ellis as the male lead

Oh yes. Yes yes yes.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/23/12 at 10:12am

The laugh track is certainly .... pronounced. It doesn't usually bug me too much, though.

Jay, I usually love the absurdity of the White Room sketches. The only sketches I just don't like across the board are the ones where they are the fat old men. I don't know what it is about those sketches, but I just can't stand them!

I've actually been waiting to watch "Let Them Eat Cake." I may this weekend.

Have any of you seen Psychoville? It's a series Dawn French was a part of a couple of years ago. Really weird but really funny.

Updated On: 3/23/12 at 10:12 AM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 3/23/12 at 10:18am

"I had no idea PBSs anywhere carried modern UK sitcoms."

With our PBS stations, it's all about price. They mostly carry the older ones because they are cheap to broadcast. However, they did offer one episode of Miranda to try and entice donors. It may have been the pilot episode, but I thought it was funny. She had a wrong shipment of baby supplies to the store and they were stored in her flat. She was trying to get the guy interested in her and through a series of funny misunderstandings, he ends up back at her flat and sees all the baby things. I always love how the Brits can milk the comedy out of a misunderstanding.

I do have to say that our PBS just got 2010 episodes of "New Tricks" which I'm glad to see. They are also hinting at getting the new episodes of "Doc Martin" when they are filmed. Now if they could get us into the 21st Century with EastEnders, I would be happy.

Oh, and to BBC America - Screw you that you can't get up to date British shows.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/23/12 at 10:20am

BBC America drives me crazy when I flip it on and it's something like a rerun of Battlestar Galactica or The Tudors. I want shows that we can't get here!

[Gothampc]

Posted: 3/23/12 at 10:54am

And I hate all those Top Gear and Gordon Ramsey shows. BBC America should definitely be providing shows we can't get here. I have to resort to Netflix, iTunes and Youtube to see shows like Gavin & Stacey or Shameless. BBC America should be introducing us to actors like Alison Steadman by showing G&S or Fat Friends. And Maxine Peake is brilliant in Shameless UK.

Updated On: 3/23/12 at 10:54 AM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/23/12 at 10:56am

Have any of you seen Psychoville? It's a series Dawn French was a part of a couple of years ago. Really weird but really funny.

Haven't seen that one yet, but I'm going to hunt it down. I do like Murder Most Horrid, though it gets a bit repetitive.